Timothy Pickering facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Timothy Pickering
Portrait by Charles Willson Peale, 1792
3rd United States Secretary of State
In office December 10, 1795 – May 12, 1800 Ad interim: August 20 – December 10, 1795
President	George Washington John Adams
Preceded by	Edmund Randolph
Succeeded by	John Marshall
2nd United States Secretary of War
In office January 2, 1795 – December 10, 1795
President	George Washington
Preceded by	Henry Knox
Succeeded by	James McHenry
5th United States Postmaster General
In office August 12, 1791 – January 1, 1795
President	George Washington
Preceded by	Samuel Osgood
Succeeded by	Joseph Habersham
United States Senator from Massachusetts
In office March 4, 1803 – March 3, 1811
Preceded by	Dwight Foster
Succeeded by	Joseph Bradley Varnum
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts
In office March 4, 1813 – March 3, 1817
Preceded by	Leonard White
Succeeded by	Nathaniel Silsbee
Constituency	3rd district (1813–15) 2nd district (1815–17)
Personal details
Born	(1745-07-17)July 17, 1745 Salem, Massachusetts Bay, British America
Died	January 29, 1829(1829-01-29) (aged 83) Salem, Massachusetts, U.S.
Political party	Federalist
Children	John Pickering (linguist)
Education	Harvard University (BA)
Signature
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	Massachusetts militia Continental Army United States Army
Years of service	1766–1785
Rank	Colonel
Battles/wars	American Revolutionary War

Timothy Pickering (July 17, 1745 – January 29, 1829) was an important American politician. He served as the third United States Secretary of State under Presidents George Washington and John Adams. He also represented Massachusetts in both the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives as a member of the Federalist Party.

Born in Salem, Massachusetts, Pickering studied law at Harvard University. He became a county judge and an officer in the local militia. During the American Revolutionary War, he was a key leader in the Continental Army, serving as Adjutant General and Quartermaster General. After the war, he moved to Pennsylvania and helped with the state's decision to approve the Constitution of the United States.

President Washington appointed Pickering as United States Postmaster General in 1791. He later became United States Secretary of War and then United States Secretary of State in 1795. As Secretary of State, Pickering believed the U.S. should have strong ties with Britain. President Adams removed him from office in 1800 because Pickering disagreed with making peace with France during the Quasi-War.

Pickering was elected to the United States Senate in 1803. He strongly opposed the Embargo Act of 1807, which stopped American trade with other countries. He continued to support Britain during the Napoleonic Wars. After leaving the Senate in 1811, he served in the United States House of Representatives from 1813 to 1817. During the War of 1812, he was a leader in the New England movement that led to the Hartford Convention. After this, his political career ended. He spent his final years as a farmer in Salem.

Early Life and Career

Timothy Pickering was born in Salem, Massachusetts. He was one of nine children. He went to grammar school in Salem and graduated from Harvard College in 1763. One local minister described him as "assuming, turbulent, & headstrong" even when he was young.

After college, Pickering worked for the town clerk in Salem. He became a lawyer in 1768 and later took over as the county's record keeper. He was also elected to represent Salem in the Massachusetts General Court (the state legislature) and served as a judge. In 1766, he married Rebecca White.

In 1766, Pickering joined the Essex County militia as a lieutenant. He was promoted to captain three years later. In 1769, he shared his ideas on how to train soldiers in a local newspaper. These ideas were published as "An Easy Plan for a Militia" in 1775. This training guide was used by the Continental Army until a new one was created by Baron von Steuben.

Role in the American Revolution

Early Confrontations

On February 26, 1775, Pickering's militia was involved in an early event of the American Revolution, known as "Leslie's Retreat." British soldiers from Boston came to Salem looking for hidden weapons. Pickering's militia and local citizens stopped the British from crossing a bridge. A local minister helped convince the British commander to leave peacefully. This prevented a fight that could have started the war even earlier.

Two months later, Pickering's troops marched to the Battles of Lexington and Concord, but they arrived too late to join the main fighting. They then became part of the army that surrounded Boston during the siege.

Serving General Washington

In December 1776, Pickering led his well-trained militia regiment to New York. General George Washington noticed his skills and offered him a job as adjutant general of the Continental Army in 1777. He was given the rank of colonel. In this role, he helped oversee the building of the Great Chain. This huge chain blocked the Hudson River, stopping British ships from attacking the important fort at West Point.

Pickering was praised for his work in supplying the troops throughout the war. In August 1780, the Continental Congress chose him to be the Quartermaster General. This meant he was in charge of getting all the supplies the army needed.

Rising in Government

After the American Revolution, Pickering tried different business ventures, but they didn't succeed. In 1786, he moved to Pennsylvania and held several important local offices. In 1787, he was part of the Pennsylvania meeting that decided to approve the Constitution of the United States.

President Washington appointed Pickering as a commissioner to the Iroquois Native Americans. Pickering helped the United States negotiate the Treaty of Canandaigua with the Iroquois in 1794.

Serving in the Cabinet

In 1791, President Washington brought Pickering into his government as United States Postmaster General. Pickering stayed in the cabinets of both Washington and John Adams for nine years. He was Postmaster General until 1795, then briefly United States Secretary of War in 1795. After that, he became United States Secretary of State from 1795 to 1800.

As Secretary of State, he was known for his strong support of British interests. He was even willing to go to war with France to support Britain during the Adams administration.

Rebecca White Pickering, portrait by Gilbert Stuart

In May 1800, President John Adams fired Pickering. This happened after they disagreed about Adams's plan to make peace with France.

Later Political Career

In 1802, Pickering and some other Federalists were unhappy with the government. They tried to get support for New England to leave the United States. Pickering was elected to the United States Senate as a senator from Massachusetts in 1803. He was a member of the Federalist Party.

He strongly opposed President Jefferson's Embargo Act, which stopped American trade. Pickering believed this act was harmful. He also thought the U.S. taking over Spanish West Florida in 1810 was wrong and against the Constitution.

Near the end of his Senate term, Pickering was criticized for reading private government documents in a public Senate meeting. Because of this, the Senate officially criticized him on January 2, 1811.

Serving in Congress

Pickering was later elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1812, where he served until 1817. During the War of 1812, he was a leader in the New England movement that led to the Hartford Convention. This meeting discussed New England's concerns about the war.

Final Years

After he was not re-elected in 1816, Pickering retired to Salem, Massachusetts. He lived as a farmer until he passed away in 1829 at the age of 83.

Legacy and Recognition

• In 1799, Fort Pickering in Salem, Massachusetts, was named after him.
• In 1942, a United States Liberty ship (a type of cargo ship) was named the SS Timothy Pickering. It was lost near Sicily in 1943.
• Until the 1990s, the Pickering House in Salem, built around 1651, was the oldest house in the United States continuously owned by the same family.

See also

• France–United States relations
• Federalist Party
• List of United States senators expelled or censured